# Alibaba Global Trade

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alibaba-global-trade/462292>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 6, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alibaba-global-trade/462292 "2008-09-06T04:04:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hende](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/aca169/32.png) [@hende](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hende)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alibaba-global-trade/462292/1 "2008-09-06T04:04:48Z")

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Has anybody used [alibaba.com](http://alibaba.com) to purchase anything? Is this a legitimate site?

We were looking at buying a Toro snowblower that sells for around $1300 here (on sale). I found the same one on that site for just under $600. It would be shipped from Indonesia.

I can’t imagine this is legitimate. The cost of shipping a machine that size alone would cost a fortune. I would guess they ship a counterfeit item or just plain rip you off.

Anyone have any experience with this site?

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**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alibaba-global-trade/462292/2 "2008-09-06T11:11:26Z")

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If it sound too good to be true, it **is** too good to be true.

If in doubt, buy elsewhere.

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**Author:** ![Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8c91f0/32.png) [@Bam\_Boo\_Gut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bam_Boo_Gut)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alibaba-global-trade/462292/3 "2008-09-06T14:01:53Z")

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I’m sure there must be many honorable Ali Baba’s out there but the name carries connotations that would make me think twice.

> **[Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ali_Baba)**
>
> "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" (Arabic: علي بابا والأربعون لصا) is a folk tale in Arabic added to the One Thousand and One Nights in the 18th century by its French translator Antoine Galland, who heard it from Syrian storyteller Hanna Diyab. As one of the most popular Arabian Nights tales, it has been widely retold and performed in many media across the world, especially for children (for whom the more violent aspects of the story are often suppressed).
> In the original version, Ali Baba (Ara...

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**Author:** ![hende](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/aca169/32.png) [@hende](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hende)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alibaba-global-trade/462292/4 "2008-09-06T22:11:31Z")

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> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#):
>
> If it sound too good to be true, it **is** too good to be true.
> 
> If in doubt, buy elsewhere.

I completely agree. I am just looking to see what people’s experiences with this site are.

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**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alibaba-global-trade/462292/5 "2008-09-06T22:33:12Z")

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> [@hende](#):
>
> We were looking at buying a Toro snowblower that sells for around $1300 here (on sale). I found the same one on that site for just under $600. It would be shipped from Indonesia.

How many snowblowers do think they have in Indonesia? My guess is about as many palm trees as are in Finland.